Rhino 3D vs. Vectorworks Spotlight

Vectorworks Spotlight

Overview
Product	Rating	Most Used By	Product Summary	Starting Price
Rhino	Score 8.3 out of 10	N/A	Robert McNeel and Associates headquartered in Seattle offers Rhinoceros 3D (or Rhino 3D), a 3D modeling and design application. Rhino can create, edit, analyze, document, render, animate, and translate NURBS curves, surfaces and solids, subdivision geometry (SubD), point clouds, and polygon meshes.	$995 one-time fee
Vectorworks Spotlight	Score 10.0 out of 10	N/A	Vectorworks Spotlight is a solution used to design, document, previsualize, and produce shows and events. With an extensive suite of drawing, modeling, database, documentation, and collaboration tools, Spotlight helps users go from concept to fully created model within a single workflow. Evolved to meet the needs of entertainment industry professionals, Vectorworks Spotlight 2025 opens a new world of visual understanding and communication, delivering features implemented to address the most-used…	$153 per month per user

Pricing

Rhino 3D

Vectorworks Spotlight

Editions & Modules

Rhino 3D for Windows & Mac: $995
one-time fee

Annual Subscription: $127.50
per month per user
Monthly Subscription: $153
per month per user

Offerings

Pricing Offerings
Rhino	Vectorworks Spotlight
Free Trial
No	Yes
Free/Freemium Version
No	No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No	No

Entry-level Setup Fee

No setup fee

Optional

Additional Details

Discount available for students and faculty.

$153/M: Monthly, 2 GB of cloud storage, Basic tech support, Immediate access to new versions $128/M: $1530 billed annually | Saves $306 over monthly billing, 2 GB of cloud storage, Basic tech support, Immediate access to new versions

More Pricing Information

Community Pulse
	Rhino 3D	Vectorworks Spotlight

Features

Rhino 3D

Vectorworks Spotlight

Computer-Aided Design Software

Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Product A and Product B
	Rhino 3D 4.5 1 Ratings 48% below category average	Vectorworks Spotlight - Ratings
3D Modeling	10.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
2D Drafting	2.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Rendering and Visualization	4.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Parametric Design	5.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Collaboration and Sharing	1.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Compatibility with other software and formats	7.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Assembly Design	10.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Simulation and Analysis	1.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Documentation and Annotation	1.01 Ratings	00 Ratings
Customization and Extensions	4.01 Ratings	00 Ratings

Best Alternatives
	Rhino 3D	Vectorworks Spotlight
Small Businesses	Onshape Score 7.3 out of 10	Onshape Score 7.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies	Onshape Score 7.3 out of 10	Onshape Score 7.3 out of 10
Enterprises	CATIA Score 8.3 out of 10	Rhino Score 8.3 out of 10
All Alternatives	View all alternatives	View all alternatives

User Ratings
	Rhino 3D	Vectorworks Spotlight
Likelihood to Recommend	8.0 (9 ratings)	- (0 ratings)
Support Rating	7.5 (4 ratings)	- (0 ratings)

User Testimonials
	Rhino 3D	Vectorworks Spotlight
Likelihood to Recommend	Robert McNeel and Associates One of the main highlights of Rhino is the built-in visual programming system "Grasshopper". It is widely used for parametric architectural design, by a variety of world-class architectural offices. It is also very popular within architectural schools and universities. Its usefulness has increased a lot by having add-ins, plug-ins, scripts, and integrations with Revit and ARCHICAD for BIM workflows. Incentivized Stefan Boeykens Guest Professor Read full review	Vectorworks, Inc. No answers on this topic
Pros	Robert McNeel and Associates Parametric Modeling - Grasshopper allows for easy/rapid iterative process White box renders display - looks great as a quick diagram export with no post-production required. robust command prompts - rhino was originally made for industrial design and it flexes a lot of unique modeling commands that put it up there with SolidWorks Incentivized AH Andrew Huss Junior Architect Read full review	Vectorworks, Inc. No answers on this topic
Cons	Robert McNeel and Associates Rhino has very limited sheet layout tools. Grasshopper could be better integrated into the main interface. Lack of backwards file compatibility can be frustrating. Incentivized Verified User Anonymous Read full review	Vectorworks, Inc. No answers on this topic
Support Rating	Robert McNeel and Associates A majority of the support for Rhinoceros 3D does not come from the company itself, but from online forums and boards where other Rhinoceros 3D users outline their issues and solutions. The Rhinoceros 3D website does not offer much in-depth support and just outlines general how to's. At the same time, online forums allow for more specific issues to be addressed and solved by the Rhinoceros 3D community. Incentivized Verified User Anonymous Read full review	Vectorworks, Inc. No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered	Robert McNeel and Associates It's hard to compare Rhino to other modeling software as Rhino is in a niche of its own. No other software (to my knowledge) is as customizable/programmable and has such a large community and such a large amount of free, open-source addons. Rhino (and Grasshopper) can be intimidating at first but once you get familiar with it and grow your toolbox with your own scripts, so much time will be saved Incentivized Antoine Carpentier, E.I.T Structural Engineer Read full review	Vectorworks, Inc. No answers on this topic
Return on Investment	Robert McNeel and Associates Right away Rhino3D is useful for simple and accurate 3D model import, repair and export all in a variety of formats. Rhino3D is easy to use and learn. The time to productivity is very short with this modeling tool. The price is low for the value received, a great investment. Incentivized Bob Householder Director of Engineering Read full review	Vectorworks, Inc. No answers on this topic
ScreenShots		Vectorworks Spotlight Screenshots